The Late Patrol
by Firestar9mm
Summary: He didn’t know much about cars, but he did know that when the needle on the fuel gauge was getting that close to “E” that it was bad.


**Author's Introduction:**

I have to admit, I initially came up with this idea purely as a counter-attack to fangirl wank. I _hate_ fangirl wank, and I'm sick and tired of people bashing characters because they're just plain ignorant of things like _characterization_ and _story structure_.

Luckily, as soon as I really got started on this, I began loving it beyond reason and it became less about revenge and more about creating a quality piece of work.

Because the best defense is a good offense, after all.

* * *

**The Late Patrol**

_A Ronin Warriors fanfiction by Firestar9mm_

* * *

_Almost home with an olive branch and a dove  
You were beating on a Persian rug with your Bible and your wedding band  
Both hidden on a TV stand  
And the cruel wind blew every city father fell  
Off the county carousel while the dogs were eating snow  
All our sons had sunk in a trunk of Noah's clothes_

**(Iron and Wine, _Carousel_)**

* * *

Last summer, he'd been in the playground watching a group of bigger boys swing across the monkey bars using only the strength of their arms, never letting their feet touch the ground. Wanting to prove his own strength, he'd attempted to mimic them. But his hands were just too small to grip the bars well, and he'd fallen hard, forehead smashing against the asphalt. His mother leapt from the bench she'd been sitting on with a shriek, her romance novel falling forgotten from her hands. Her face was creased in worry the entire drive to the emergency room, promises tumbling from her lips about how it was all going to be okay, baby, Mommy's here.

At the time, it was the coolest thing that had ever happened to him—_stitches_. Twelve he had, and the doctor had given him a lollipop, which he'd happily licked at while the doctor attempted to console his still-twitching mother.

"He'll be fine," the doctor had soothed. "Kids his age bounce."

In Ully Yamano's own opinion, he was bouncing now, too.

He was getting used to waking up like this—snuggled into coarse, warm fur, with the distant thunder of a heartbeat for an alarm clock. Despite the chill of the early spring nights, Ully had never slept uncomfortably, not even once, since the day the Dynasty had attacked. The massive white tiger he was cuddled up against had made sure of that.

Reaching out, Ully stroked a small hand through his friend's fur in greeting. "Morning, White Blaze."

The big cat's chest rumbled with a friendly growl. Turning his head, he dragged a broad tongue over Ully's face, teasing the boy's hair into damp cowlicks. Ully giggled, squirming away from the tongue-bath.

Boy and tiger got to their feet and paws, the former stretching his arms toward the sky, the latter planting his claws on the ground and arching his back as if he would pull the very earth towards him.

The morning was already in full swing around them. A small fire had been lit in the center of their makeshift campsite, fueled by old newspapers and magazines from a newsstand they'd passed on their way out of the city. Tabloids tended to burn best—Sage said that was all they were good for, but Kento kept rescuing a few from the pile to flip through—but they'd taken a lot of glossy copies of _Vogue_, too. Mia said those had the most pages because they were full of ads. That was probably true, Ully figured, but he was sure Mia had ripped out a few of the perfume samples and stuffed them into her sweater pockets, muttering some bad words about not being able to take a decent hot shower. Girls were so fussy about stuff like that.

Sage was brewing tea as best he could over the fire, boiling water in a dented saucepan they'd recovered from the city. The others flatly refused to drink it but Halo was insistent on having _some_ degree of normalcy despite the crisis they were currently living in. However, even _he_ had trouble making it through a cup of the vile makeshift brew; this morning he gave up entirely and poured his cup out into the grass.

The morning routine had become friendly banter to sort out who would take which shift of the daily patrol. This topic was rarely agreed upon and sometimes had to be settled with fists, but everyone seemed oddly comforted by the whole thing, because it was something tangible to take their frustrations out on when there wasn't an immediate threat to their lives.

Ully wished _he_ had something to take his frustrations out on; he wasn't any help when it came to patrol—if a threat occurred he would likely be a liability due to his size. This did not shame him; a big person would beat a small person every time and it was out of his control. Still, he wanted to help and until they knew how to storm the Dynasty without it being a suicide mission, all they could do was wait.

A gleam of red at the corner of his vision got his attention; the sun was reflecting off Mia's bright hair as she sat in the Jeep at the edge of the camp. Hopping onto White Blaze's broad back, Ully urged the tiger towards the car.

She was sitting in the front seat, staring straight ahead. The car's motor hummed softly, but it was in park and her hands were in her lap, not on the wheel. The windows were open, and the breeze stirred her bangs as she ran her tongue nervously over chapped lips.

"Hi Mia," Ully said as White Blaze ambled alongside the Jeep, the boy's face level with the girl's due to her seated position and the added height of the tiger. "What are you doing?"

"I'm trying to figure something out," she said idly, still staring at the dashboard.

Ully thought he knew what she was looking at. He didn't know much about cars, but he did know that when the needle on the fuel gauge was getting that close to "E" that it was bad. "The car needs gas," he said.

"I know. That's what I'm trying to figure out." She caught her lower lip between her teeth; she'd been chewing it more and more often, so that sometimes he noticed dark bruises where she'd made herself bleed.

Ully didn't know why she was so upset. It all seemed very simple to him. He reached for her hand, which was resting on the doorframe, and curled his small fingers over hers. "Mia, let's go get the car some more gas."

She blinked those big eyes at him, once, twice, three times. Ully knew those eyes were the color of the sea, even though he'd never been there.

She looked at him very seriously. "That," she said, "is a very good idea. That's what I'm going to do."

Ully smiled at the praise. Mia was smart; she was the smartest person he'd ever met, and he felt special that she thought _he_ was smart, too. "Can we come with you?"

She gave it another minute's thought. "I don't see why not. Let's ask Ryo if he'll loan us White Blaze for a while." Reaching through the car's open window, she stroked the big cat under his chin, her other hand moving to rub an ear. The tiger leaned into the touch, exhaling a soft growl of pleasure at the attention.

When she opened the door, White Blaze wheeled around and headed towards the friendly bickering already in progress at the other end of the camp. Just as Rowen and Cye were about to come to fisticuffs, Ully interrupted by riding the tiger into the center of the Ronin huddle. "Ryo! Hey, Ryo! Can me and White Blaze go help Mia? She's going to get gas for the car."

It was Sage who responded, arching a golden brow over his visible eye, a wry smile fixed on Mia even as he addressed Ully. "Oh? How's she planning on doing that?"

Mia answered with a coy smile of her own. "Betcha I think of something." She was the only one who could tease Sage and get away with it.

Indeed, Halo's amused expression softened. "You always do."

"Are you goin' inta th' city?" Rowen asked hopefully, tugging on his blue forelock. "Think ya can bring back some bandages or somethin'? I caught my foot in some debris an' twisted it last patrol when we ran inta some drones an' it hurts like blue hell."

Mia nodded. "I can try."

Ryo looked at Mia, looking suddenly young beneath his wild tangle of dark hair and a thin layer of dirt on his face. His voice sounded almost shy as he asked, "If he gets bandages, can I have a can of soda?"

Suddenly everyone was chiming in with suggestions. Mia kept nodding, saying she'd do her best but wasn't sure what she'd come up with. The faintest crease appeared between her eyebrows; she was making promises she wasn't sure she could keep, but she didn't have the heart to tell the guys she might not be able to give them what they wanted.

"Be careful out there," Cye warned. "If you see something strange, don't hang around. Come back as fast as you can."

Ully felt it best to reassure his friends. "Me and White Blaze will watch out for her!" he promised, still on the tiger's back. "We won't let anything happen to her." White Blaze growled his assent.

The Ronin grinned at the largest and smallest members of the team.

"Stay off that ankle till I get back, Rowen," Mia advised, waving a finger whose nail was gleaming with clear chipped lacquer. "Take a late patrol."

"'Kay." Rowen turned to Sage. "You an' me?"

"Good deal," Sage agreed, circling to accompany the little party to the Jeep. White Blaze ambled calmly beside Mia and Ully watched his friends as they walked. Suddenly, they didn't seem so much older than he was—their eyes had shadows around them; they looked so unsure of themselves.

"Make sure he stays off that ankle," Mia repeated to Sage, casting a mistrustful look at Rowen. "I'll try to bring back something cold so he can ice it." Her gaze was steady on his but her hands betrayed a sudden shyness, fidgeting with the buttons on her pink cardigan. "What about you, Sage? Don't you want anything?"

The blond's eyes darkened to twilight violet as they rested on her. "I want you to come back safe," he said, in a softer voice now that they were away from the rest of the group, the voice he saved only for her.

She smiled at him. "Promise."

Their eyes stayed on each other for a minute more; she was the first to look away, hiding a blush by turning to her small bodyguard and his furry steed. "Come on, guys," she chirped, beaming at them. "Let's go."

* * *

At Mia's suggestion, Ully rode in the car with her and let White Blaze run alongside. He'd never ridden in the front seat before; usually Ryo or Sage got that honor. He buckled his seat belt obediently at her reminder and felt a little more grown-up than before.

It wasn't that long of a drive from their camp into the city, but Ully noticed Mia's lips moving in soft, fervent prayers the closer they got. "Come on, baby," she murmured, riptide eyes flickering nervously to the shivering needle as it inched down the end of the fuel gauge. "Come on, do this one thing for Mia."

The car was sputtering towards the end of the ride, but they made it to the nearest gas station without having to get out and push. Mia guided the Jeep up beside the only empty pump—a sedan was abandoned at the other one, its door hanging open, as if the driver had left in a hurry.

"How are we going to get the gas, Mia?" Ully asked, getting out of the Jeep. "Don't you have to go in there and pay them to turn on the pump?"

Mia's brow furrowed in thought. "Let's go in."

The door was unlocked; the little bell jingled to announce their entrance to nobody, a cheerful sound for such a deserted place.

The store had pretty much survived the initial attack; only a few boxes of foodstuffs and cheap pairs of sunglasses had been knocked to the floor. Like the abandoned sedan out at the pump, it looked like the occupants had left in a hurry, but nothing was too damaged.

Mia stood behind the cash register, framed by lucky rabbit's feet dangling from novelty keychains and streamers of instant lottery tickets. "No good," she lamented, leaning against the counter. "I don't know how it works, and all the power's out anyway. I can't turn the pumps on."

Ully was starting to worry, but he tried bravely to conceal it. Forcing himself to sound calm, he asked, "What are we going to do? If we don't fill the car up, we can't get back to the guys."

White Blaze pushed his head affectionately against Ully's hip, promising that he'd carry them if they needed him to. Ully petted the tiger, rubbing his ears. "Thanks, boy." Thinking hard, Ully turned back to Mia. "Could we borrow the car outside? Maybe the keys are still in it."

Mia shook her head, red hair flying back and forth with the force of her negativity. "No, I don't want to leave my Jeep. It's mine."

Ully nodded and didn't push the issue any further. He could understand why Mia didn't want to abandon her Jeep. They'd all lost so much so quickly. She wanted to hang on to something that was hers.

Mia's hurricane eyes were scanning the small store intensely. She looked past the door that led to the garage, then back to it. "I think I have an idea. Come on."

The interior of the garage was dim and spooky. Something thick dripped audibly to the floor somewhere, and the hydraulic lift looked dangerous in the stingy light.

"I don't like it in here." The words came out before he could stop himself, and he clutched tightly at the sleeve of Mia's pink sweater.

"It's only for a minute," she assured him softly. "See if you can find a container. Something with a cap. Watch out for sharp things."

Steeling himself, Ully let go of her sleeve and did as she asked, reasoning that if he found what she wanted, they could go back outside where it was sunny. Squinting in the dark, he ran his small hands carefully along the metal shelving units until he found several large plastic jugs with spouts sticking up out of them.

"What about these?" he asked. "Mia, do you want these?"

She turned from the shelf she was searching to look. "Yes, perfect," she said. "Good job. Bring them outside. Take as many as you can carry. Quick, like a bunny, okay?"

Her use of the childlike phrase made Ully think maybe she didn't like the dark scary garage either.

There were five of the plastic containers. It took Ully two trips to carry them outside like she wanted; he took one under each arm and on the second trip Mia took the last container along with what she'd found—a length of clear plastic tubing, open at both ends.

"Bring the rest over here, Ully," Mia said, carrying the jug in her hand over to the abandoned sedan at the pump. Ully did, watching curiously as she knelt to pry open the car's gas cap, running the clear tube into the open tank. Putting one end of the tubing to her lips, she blew into it, cocking one ear as if listening for something. Ully listened too, and soon he heard an answering bubbling in the tank.

Mia halted her actions for a second to give Ully a very serious look. "Listen to me very carefully. Don't ever do what I'm doing. It's very dangerous and you could get hurt."

Her eyes were storm dark and she sounded so severe that he nodded quickly. "'Kay."

She wasn't satisfied. "Say, 'I promise, Mia'."

"I promise, Mia," he repeated obediently, wondering what she could possibly do with a little rubber tube that was so dangerous.

Her eyes softened, satisfied. "Good," she said softly. Then she took one of the containers and set it beside her. Placing the end of the clear tube into her mouth once more, she made a face at the taste of the plastic, then squinted and sucked on it, hard. Ully wondered why she'd been so determined to warn him not to do this—it didn't look like fun at all.

Mia's chest heaved as she gave the tube one last hard pull, and then she was sputtering and gagging. Gasoline spilled from the open end of the tube, glittering in the sunlight and spattering on the pavement. Quickly, Mia guided it into the spout of the container.

Mia coughed, an awful wet sound. Her eyes watered as she scrubbed at her mouth with the back of her hand. "Okay," she rasped. "Quick now. When the containers fill up, switch them ou—" She interrupted herself, heaving as though she were about to vomit. Steadying herself, she continued "Switch them out for new ones. I'll bring you the empties. Try not to spill any, okay?" Her voice lilted on the last "okay", sounding waterlogged.

Ully nodded. Quickly, Mia took the first full container over to the Jeep, pouring the gasoline into its tank while Ully filled more jugs. The sedan had enough gasoline to fill all the containers with a little left over. Mia said that was about eleven gallons, which was pretty good but she wished there were more. She was still looking a little green.

"Mia, are you okay?" Ully asked.

"Fine, just feel a little sss…feel sssick is all," she gasped. "Come on, let's go."

She put the tubing and the empty containers in the back of the Jeep. When she turned the key in the ignition, the needle jumped just past the middle of the gauge.

"A little more than half a tank," Mia said appreciatively, holding out her hand for a low five. Ully slapped his hand down on hers. "Good job," she told him, and he grinned.

White Blaze trotted alongside the Jeep as she drove slowly down the street.

"Mia?" Ully asked. "We took that gas from that person's car. If they're trapped in the Dynasty, is that still stealing?"

Mia sighed. "It's not good to take things that don't belong to you, but this is an emergency, Ully. Can you possibly understand?"

He thought about it. "Yup," he decided. "We need to do everything we can to help the Ronin Warriors and beat the Dynasty."

She smiled, looking relieved. "Exactly. But stealing's still wrong, okay?"

"Except in an emergency."

"Except for then." She nodded firmly, but the motion seemed to be the worst thing for her dizzy head. She swallowed hard.

"Mia, are you—"

The Jeep's tires screeched as she pulled haphazardly over to the side of the street, flinging the door open and leaning out of the car. White Blaze's brown eyes softened in sympathy at the sounds of her dry-heaving; there was nothing to expel but air. Ully could only undo his seat belt and pull her hair back over her shoulder and out of her way, petting the long red tail in an attempt to comfort her as she gagged painfully, the sound loud on the deserted street.

* * *

It was about midmorning by the time they reached their next destination, a supermarket. Mangled shopping carts and abandoned cars were all over the parking lot like casualties.

"Should we get a cart?" Ully wondered aloud, but Mia shook her head.

The door presented a problem. It was one of those automatic ones that opened when someone tripped the pressure plates beneath the mat in front of the entrance, but the power had been out to the city ever since the Dynasty's initial attack. With no juice, the door didn't get a signal from the pressure plate, even when White Blaze pounced on it with his considerable weight.

Ully tried getting on White Blaze's back, but the door refused to budge. Mia wandered around the parking lot looking for another solution.

"Maybe we should go see if there's another door," Ully suggested to White Blaze. The tiger growled in agreement, but before they could, Mia called out behind them.

"Watch out," she warned, hefting a chunk of stone in her hands. It was painted yellow, like the slabs of concrete that marked off parking spaces.

White Blaze galloped away from the door, and Mia hurled the chunk of rubble at the glass. The door exploded inward with a horrible sound, shards of glass tinkling down like chimes.

Mia stepped carefully through the opening, clearing some stray glass aside with her shoe. "Be careful, you two, especially you, White Blaze," she advised. "Watch your paws."

The big cat had a better idea; he crouched down to let Ully onto his back once more, stepping daintily through the door behind Mia.

"Guess what that was?" Mia asked Ully.

It took him a minute to understand her meaning, but then he smiled. "An emergency?"

She grinned. "Exactly."

Once they'd breached the door, Mia moved with ruthless efficiency. She led them to the housewares section and ripped open a box of super-sized garbage bags. Handing one to Ully and keeping one for herself, she threw the rest of the box's contents into her bag. "Okay, troops. Let's go."

Girl, boy and tiger stared at the aisles, gearing up for the hunt. "Take what we can get away with," was Mia's verdict. "Don't take more than we need or it'll just go to waste."

They wandered up and down every aisle, taking their time, debating how important certain items were in relation to how much space they took up. The pharmacy section was the first stop. Mia snatched a bottle of mouthwash from a shelf and snapped the seal desperately, swilling a huge amount of the liquid in her mouth. Hopping up onto the pharmacist's counter, she spat her mouthful out into the sink.

"Ick," she said, wiping her lips. "I could still taste the gasoline." Recapping the bottle, she tossed it into her garbage bag. "Do you see any toothbrushes?"

Ully found toothbrushes in a variety of colors. He chose with the colors of his friends' armor in mind, his eight-year-old brain wrapping as best it could around Occam's Razor. Mia smiled at the pink toothbrush the boy showed her and nodded. He tossed them into his garbage bag with a couple of tube of toothpaste.

Medicine and bandages were next. Mia took a few boxes of Band-Aids, but she seemed to be planning on worse injuries, tipping entire rows of gauze packets, Ace bandages and butterfly bandages into her bag.

"Should I just take any aspirin?" Ully asked, reaching for a bottle of Tylenol.

Mia's arm snaked past, taking the Tylenol out of his hand and replacing it with another bottle. "Take Motrin," was her advice. "That's what they use in emergency rooms. It works the best. Take a lot, but check the seals, okay? Don't take anything with a broken seal." Ully obeyed, taking a whole shelf's worth of bottles and moving on to topical antiseptic, following it with antibacterial spray, iodine and rubbing alcohol.

Food proved to be harder to choose from. There was little they could take with them that wasn't cumbersome or spoiled. The dairy section had an overpowering odor of sour milk and the bread was starting to mold.

"I wish we could have ice cream," Ully lamented, looking at the leaking pints of vanilla and chocolate soup in the dairy case.

Mia ruffled his hair affectionately. "When the war's over and everyone's safe, we'll all go out for ice cream together."

Ully liked that and smiled. "Can I have whipped cream and butterscotch on it?"

"Anything you want," Mia promised. White Blaze nuzzled against her hip, rumbling his love-growl. She stroked him beneath his chin and his tongue flickered out. "You, too, big cat," she added, stooping to smack a kiss against his muzzle.

It was the snack foods that ended up being the most useful. Mia and Ully filled their bags with packaged cookies and chips, strips of jerky and freeze-dried cereals. They all but emptied the instant ramen aisle.

"I'm tired, Mia," Ully sighed when their bags were full. She rubbed his hair again, distracted by something on a shelf they were passing in the organic foods section. "Can we rest for a minute?"

"I know. Almost done," she promised idly, taking a small box and tucking it into her bag. "I suppose we can rest for a minute."

Ully took her by her free hand. "Let's rest by the checkout stand. There's candy there."

* * *

Half an hour later, the floor was littered with candy wrappers—Twix, Rolos, Kit Kats. Ully fed White Blaze a strip of jerky and the tiger munched it happily. Sitting with his back against the counter, Ully took the wand out of a bottle of soap solution and blew a cloud of bubbles toward the tiger, laughing when the big cat clamped his jaws on one.

Ully smiled. Before the Dynasty had attacked, he'd been too cool for bubbles, writing them off as something babies played with, eager to move on to more mature toys, like skateboards. Now their iridescent shiny glow fascinated him. It felt _good_ to do something so simple and see the rainbow colors float around the room.

Mia seemed to be involved in a similar form of relaxation—she had a fashion magazine open in front of her, lying on her stomach with her feet kicked up behind her in her thigh-high stockings. She'd ripped a compact out of its packaging and was putting on a berry-colored lipstick; a cylindrical phial of mascara lay nearby with its wand resting atop it. Pursing her lips, Mia turned to Ully, her made-up lashes sweeping down and up like fans. "What do you think?"

"Pretty," he answered, nodding.

She giggled, blotting the lipstick off on a baby wipe she'd taken from one of the boxes she'd put into her bag. "I wish we could go to my grandfather's house," she lamented. "I'm dying for a real shower."

"Where's your grandfather's house?" Ully asked through a mouthful of Snickers.

"Not far. It's big, too, big enough for all of us." She sounded excited just talking about it. "I know we'd be safe there. When things have settled down, I want to take everyone there."

Thoughts of a house made Ully remember the one question that was never too far from his mind. His voice went scratchy as he asked her what he feared the most, knowing that after today she just _had_ to tell him what she really thought.

"Mia…what if Mom and Dad don't come home?"

She rolled to a sitting position, looking very carefully at him.

"What if something horrible happened to them?" Ully's eyes were stinging but he refused to cry in front of her. "What's going to happen to me?"

Mia's answer was so immediate it left him speechless. "I'll take care of you."

He blinked. "You mean it?"

She nodded, just as quickly. "Yes. You can come with me."

"To your grandfather's big house?"

"There." She nodded. Then that tidepool gaze fixed on him, impossibly kind. "But you know what, Ully? I don't think you have to worry. I think your mom and dad are okay."

He sniffled, unable to help it. "You do? Really?"

She nodded again. "If Talpa wanted to kill people, he could have done that right away. Instead, he took them to the Nether Realm. I think they're alive, and if they're alive, I promise you we'll bring them home."

He smiled, wiping at his eyes. "Thanks, Mia."

She sighed, closing her compact.

"Mia?" he asked, crumpling a candy wrapper in his hand. "Where are your mom and dad?"

She shifted, eyelashes flickering. "I grew up in France."

Ully wrinkled his nose. "Is that far?"

"Far enough," she sighed, opening the compact again, even though she'd just closed it. She began to fuss with her bangs, rolling her lips out and under to smooth her lipstick.

It occurred to Ully that she was uncomfortable. "Are you homesick?"

She shifted again, looking shy, swinging her hair over her shoulder. "Sometimes. I like coming to Japan, though. It's home, too, sort of. At my grandfather's."

Ully crawled closer to her. "Do you have your own room there?"

She nodded, smiling. "Yes. I have a big bed, and a balcony. When it's warm at night I go out there to look at the stars."

"It sounds nice," Ully said.

Mia sighed, closing her eyes to remember as best as she could. "It is. There's a lake nearby, and it's surrounded by woodland. In the mornings, the deer come right up to the windows. I like to walk outside in the evenings when it's cool. There's a big dining room and we could all have supper in there. If the guys doubled up in the spare bedrooms, there would be plenty of room for all of us."

"Would your grandfather mind if we did that?" Ully asked.

Mia shook her head rapidly, hair flicking. "Oh, no. He wouldn't mind at all. He'd…" She chuckled. "He'd be happy I was bringing friends over. He'd be happy I wasn't all…"

She drew a shaky breath and Ully saw her eyes were shimmering. She swallowed hard, glancing at him warily, as if she were afraid to show him that she was upset, even though she'd lost just as much as any of them. Ully believed her when she said they'd get his mom and dad back, but her grandfather would never come home again.

Clumsily, he got up and slid across to her on his knees, embracing her as the tears came, mascara slicking like oil beneath her eyes.

"It's okay," he mumbled into Mia's shoulder as she shook with the force of tears she could no longer hold back. "It's going to be okay, Mia."

White Blaze curled around them, rough tongue lapping at Mia's ear.

"It's okay," Ully whispered.

Mia's chest heaved with a sob; she squeezed him and he returned the embrace as she shook with grief, arms constricting around her little friend.

* * *

"This is _awesome_," Ryo said for the fortieth time as he and Cye unloaded whole cases of water and soda cans out of the back of the Jeep. "How'd you guys _get_ all this stuff?"

Ully grinned and repeated the answer Mia had told him to give the guys if they asked. "The Easter Beagle came and gave it to us."

Ryo just shook his head and chuckled, popping the tab on a can of Coca-Cola. "Easter Beagle, huh?"

"I don't care if three little pigs with _wings_ came down and gave them to you," Cye said, chugging a can of Sprite and crushing the can in his hand. "You're wonderful, both of you."

White Blaze butted his head against Cye's hip. Torrent rubbed the tiger's head. "Sorry, all _three_ of you."

Ryo grinned at his tiger. "Easter Beagle, huh?"

White Blaze moved his head in a definite nod.

Kento was rummaging in the trunk as well. "Ully," he called. "Next time, tell Mia to bring beer, willya?"

When the other two Ronin laughed, Ully felt it safe to giggle too. White Blaze nudged Ully to look towards the other side of the camp, where Mia was wrapping Rowen's ankle carefully, using the Ace bandage to hold an ice pack to the injured bone.

"Thank ya, Mia Nightingale," Rowen cooed, and Mia shoved him playfully.

"You still have to be careful on it, okay?" Mia warned. "Nothing too strenuous. It's just a strained ankle but it'll get worse if you don't favor it. Be _careful_."

"Yes, ma'am," Rowen promised, getting up gingerly and testing the ankle. "Lemme know when yer ready, Sage."

When he'd hobbled off, Sage favored Mia with a smile. "You and Ully brought back quite a haul. Thanks."

Mia shrugged. "No big deal."

"I have a feeling it's a much bigger deal than we know," Sage said, rolling his shoulder. "Take it easy for a while. Hopefully Rowen and I won't run into anything you need to worry about."

"Oh!" Mia said, diving into her garbage bag. "I almost forgot. I brought you something. Look."

Resurfacing, she displayed in both hands the little box that she'd taken in the supermarket.

"Is that _real tea_?" Sage asked, taking the box for a closer look.

"I'm sure it's not as good as what you're used to," she said, laughing softly. "But I'm also sure it's better than what you were brewing yourself."

Sage chuckled. "Thank you, Mia."

She shrugged again, shyly. "Come back safe, okay?" she asked, much like he'd said to her earlier that day—it seemed like so long ago.

Sage offered a smile before turning to follow Rowen. Mia was left alone, but only for a second—Ully tugged on her hand, leading her to where White Blaze lay curled up on the grass, offering his strong shoulder for a pillow. Mia smiled, reclining carefully against the big cat, who turned his head to lap at her cheek.

In minutes, the young woman was asleep. Ully sat nearby, popping the tab on a can of Coca-Cola he'd taken for himself. White Blaze's head drooped to his paws, eyes flickering closed.

Smiling at his friends, Ully sipped his soda, on his very own late patrol.

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

I was so glad when Ully tugged on my sleeve and asked me to tell this story. I like Ully just as much as I like any of the other characters, and it's not fair that he gets so badly abused in fanfiction. It's thanks to Ully that Sekhmet doesn't mop the floor with Mia and Ryo in "The Search Begins". Ully becomes the caretaker of the Jewel of Life! Doesn't that mean anything?

And for all the fangirls who think it's so hysterically funny that Ryo slaps Ully once in the series, you all _do_ know that Sage apologizes to Ully almost immediately after, and in the original, if I remember correctly, _Kento_ retaliates against _Ryo_ for hitting Ully!

…You guys _know_ that, right?

Once again, canon is love…

Contrary to popular belief, the correct spelling of "Ully" is indeed **U-L-L-Y**, not "Yuli" or "Yulie". This is confirmed by _Animerica_'s Ronin Warriors issue, Volume 10, issue 5, May 2002. Let's just say canon spelling's a pet cause of mine. (Along with everything else canon.)

…anyway. I'm for Ully just as I'm for any character in the series. You go, small Ully of the Wind. (nods firmly.)

A bit of trivia: 

**Occam's**** Razor****: **All parts being equal, the simplest solution is often the best one.

Rowen calls Mia "Mia Nightingale", a reference to **Florence Nightingale_, _**pioneer of modern nursing.

A bit of fun:

Whenever someone receives something special in my family, we say it came from the **Easter Beagle**, who was played by Snoopy himself in the 1974 Charles Schultz movie, **It's the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown**.

Every Swiss Cake Roll comes in a package of two, cause they're for sharing. I will have one, and you can have the other, Ully, for making this story just so great to tell.


End file.
